Car-coupling



F. A. FOX.

GAR UOUPLING.

- VPatented Feb.

H/J ATTORNEY line y y of Fig. 2.

i E STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OHARLES E. BISHOP, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFIC'ATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 468,765, datedFebruary 9, 1892. Application filed July 16, 1891. Serial No. 399,6'78.(No model.) i

To aZZ whom it may conccrn:

Be it known that I, FRANK AVERILL FOX, of San Francisco, in the countyof San Francisco and State of California, have invented a certain newand useful Improvement in Car-Couplers,of which the followingis aspecification.

The invention relates to that class of carcouplers in which there aretwo automatically-interlocking sec-tions having means for securing themas interlock'ed; and it consists` in the novel construction of the jointbearing between the looking-section and the main section of the coupler.

It further consists in a laterally-swinging unconpling-lever and otherdetails of construction, as will be particularly pointed out in theclaims.

In the acconpanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top orplan view of acoupling embodying my improvement. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view thereof.Fig. 8 is a rear end elevation. Fg. 4 is a section through line w a; ofFig. 1. Fig. 5 is a top view of an interlocking section of the coupler.Fig. 6 is a section through Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a portion ofthe coupler.

Refcrring by letter to the drawings, A desigates a fixed section orcoupler-head adapted to be secured to a car in the usual manner. Thissection A has the usual guide-horn a at one side, and at the oppositeside has forwardly-projecting' lugs A', forming bearings for ahorizontal swingin` interlockin g section As. The section A3 has areduced porton or block A4, adapted to engage between the lugs A', andboth the lugs and the block A4 are vertically perforated for the passageof a hinge-pi'n a'. It Will be seen by this construction that ahinge-joint is formed between the Sections A A3 ofthe coupling, and thatthe block Atl forms one member of the joint and the lugs A' form theother members of the joint. The outer ends of the lugs A' are roundedtransversely and the inner bearing-surfaces are hemispherical orrounded, as at a2.

In couplings of this character it is found that a break or fracture ismost likely to occur at the j unction of the main portion of the sectionAgand the block A4. This breakage is caused bythe coupling coming insudden violent contact with another coupling or other obstruction. Afeature of my invention resides in means for strengthening` the couplingat this point, as I will now describe. The bearing-walls B of thesection A4 are transversely convexed to correspond substantially to thetransverse curve of the lugs A', and these walls are provided withlongitudinal integral ribs B'. The ribs B' are longitudinally curved toconform to the rounded surface a? of the lugs A'. It will be seen thatthe ribs B' converge fron the outer ends toward the inner ends, and thatthe thickest portion of the ribs is at the junction e of the walls Bwith the block At, as shown at e' in Fig. 7, so that the section A3 isstrengthened at this ordinarily weak point. The ribs B' not onlystrengthen the parts, as described, but they reduce the bearing-surface,and therefore reduce the friction in the joint. The interlocking sectionA3 has a projection C at substantially right angles to its face. Theprojection has a transverse shoulderor abutment c on itsupperside,adapted toimpinge againstafiange c', extending downwardly fromthe rear side of a lug A'. It is obvious that a shoulder c may also beformed in the lower side of the proj ection aud the other lug beprovided with a flange c'. By providing` the shoulder c and the flangec' the hinge-pin is relieved of great strain When the interlockingsection is in its normal or looking position, and should the hinge-pinby some accident be lost the shoulder and fiange Will serve to hold theinterlooking` section in its proper position. The projection C carries alocking-bolt C'. This locking-bolt is movable longitudinally in a recess02, formed in the end of the projection C, the inner surface of thelower wall of which is downwardly and outwardly curved or inclined, asshown at b. The bolt C'rests upon this inclined surface b, and by meansof its own weight moves outwardly to engage in a recess b', formed inthe section A of the coupling. The bolt C' is not accessible from theouter side when in a locked position, excepting by means ofaleverhereinafter described. The bolt is prevented from falling entirelyout of the recess 02 by means of a pin 272 pass- IOO ing through a Wallof the projeetion C into a groove 63 in the bolt.

D designates a lever fo movingthe lookingbolt C' out of the recess b'When it is desired to nnlock the coupling. This lever is fulcrumed tothe section A of the conpling, and has its inner arm d projected througha hole in the side of the section into the recess b'. By moving theouter arm of the level' away from the conpling` the inner arm Will forcethe bolt C' out of the recess b' and into the reeess 62, so that theinterloeking section of the coupling may be opened.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a car-coupling,the combination of the main section having the lugs rounded on theirbearing-surfaces, and the swinging section' pivoted thereto and havingthe ribbed bearnarneto this specification in the presence of i twosubscribing witnesses.

ing-surface, substantially as specified.

2. In a car-conpling, the combination', with the main section having thebearing-lugs, of the swinging section having the bloek and thetransversely conveXed bearing-Walls, and the integral ribslongitudinally curved and having the thickest portion at the junction ofjnnction of the bearing-Wall and block, sub-' stantially as specified.

4:. In a car-complex', the combination, With the main or fixed sectionand the section hinged thereto and having the projection a carrying alocking-bolt, of the lever fnlcrumed to one side of the main section formoving the looking-boli; in one direction, snbstantially as specified.

In testimony Whereof I have signedI my FRANK AVERILL FOX.

Witnesses:

EDWIN H. BROWN, ANTHONY GREF.

